UAE: Miele has opened its new multi-purpose gallery with the GCC launch of the Fire/Ice range of products in Dubai.

It was inaugurated by Dr Markus Miele, managing director and co-owner of Miele, who had flown in from Germany for the event.

The gallery, at Sama Tower, showcases over 80 appliances on the lower floor, with the mezzanine level furnished to host events, from product launches and demonstrations, fashion shows, art exhibitions and training sessions, with a fully equipped cooking station, which can be used for private cooking classes.

Also on display is a product history museum featuring some of the company’s early innovations, dating from the birth of Miele 112 years ago.

“The new gallery’s architecture embodies luxury, elegance and contemporary design — three elements that represent the very essence of the brand in a full white setting, extenuating the sense of detail, construction and craftsmanship for which the brand is renowned, appealing to quality conscious consumers of all nationalities,” said Gaby Koudsi, managing director, Miele GCC.

A separate room in the centre of the gallery includes the collection, Fire/Ice, with gold and chromium finishing respectively.

With the introduction of the collection, Dr Miele said the company wanted to create a new look to differentiate it from the rest. Miele conducted a survey across the 47 countries it operates in to see what its consumers wanted.

“We had two streams of thought: one came from places like Dubai and Russia, where people wanted more shiny appliances to create a warm feel. But then we got a lot of feedback from places like Italy, where people wanted something cold and minimalistic.

When we put that together, we created the Fire/Ice collection,” said Dr Miele.He added the overall design and technology used in the products is what makes it special, along with the enormous size and flexibility of the collection to choose from.

“We cater to interior designers and architects who like to experiment with new material, whether that is furniture, flooring or wallcovering. We’ve stretched this to appliances,” added Koudsi.

He added the general trend with kitchen design is that it is more integrated within the living space than it used to be.

“There are a lot of things you have to think about in kitchen design that you didn’t have to think about years ago,” added Dr Miele.

“We’re projecting a 26% growth against last year. Coming up next, we’re starting in Saudi Arabia in Q1 2012, and focusing on business development in Qatar,” said Koudsi.

“Dubai is a perfect hub for us to spread the Miele brand around the region. It’s very accessible, even from Germany, and is the flagship for the GCC,” added Dr Miele.